The Granite State Poetry Prize is an annual award administered by the University of New Hampshire’s English Department and funded by the YAS Foundation in memory of Nossrat Yassini, a poet and advocate for the art. It carries a $5,000 prize, publication under a standard royalty contract, twenty author copies, and a featured reading at the Nossrat Yassini Poetry Festival on April 16–17, 2027. The prize is open to emerging and established poets who are current New Hampshire residents and engaged in ongoing literary work within the state. There is no entry fee, and the final judge for the 2027 cycle is Elizabeth A. I. Powell. The award’s institutional grounding at a public university and its explicit regional focus distinguish it from national contests. It functions as both a career milestone and a community investment, aiming to sustain literary practice within New Hampshire. The publication component, with a standard royalty contract and a launch at the Yassini Festival, positions the winning manuscript within a broader readership and a public celebration of poetry. The curatorial vision, as expressed through the prize’s structure, favors manuscripts of extraordinary quality that contribute to the ongoing conversation of American poetry. The involvement of Elizabeth A. I. Powell as final judge suggests an openness to a range of contemporary poetics, with an emphasis on work that is formally accomplished and emotionally resonant. The prize does not prescribe a theme; rather, it seeks a full-length collection that demonstrates mastery and coherence.